like salt water and golden eyes
by oh my fading heart
Summary: A story featuring a vulnerable male, an enchanting mermaid, and a clichéd love story. — Ichigo, Orihime.
1. act one

—**a/n: **a new story, banzai! i really shouldn't be making more stories; i still need to finish my two other multi-chapters. but, this won't last long, only eight to ten chapters. oh, and another thing: it's a summer-themed fic! my favorite! (^_^)

p.s. this fic is completely a mermaid!au story. there are no special powers/abilities, no soul society; just the characters within the bleach fandom are used. the only twists i added in the story is the merfolk kingdom and the change of location.

prompt(s): the little mermaid, beach, forbidden love, and summer nights.

(disclaimed.)

* * *

**like salt water and golden eyes  
**act one

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**i.**

Our story takes place on an over-populated coast in Japan. It is late at night; the sounds of music, partying, and excitement fill the sake-scented air. The shore is littered with high school students, celebrating the birth of their short-lived summer vacation.

Away from this commotion is a teen male with bright, amber eyes and spiky, orange hair. His body is nicely toned; it could be seen under his open button-up shirt and cargo swim trunks.

His eyes, hidden under his locks, shift when he hears someone call his name.

"Oi, Ichigo! You okay, man?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo turns his head towards the noise and spots two fellow students.

Both students have brunette hair that reach their shoulders and are wearing matching trunks. The shorter male's eyes are glued to his phone while the taller male is exhausted, his hands resting on his knees.

"We were looking everywhere for you. We thought something bad happened!" The exhausted one manages to say between his heavy breathing. The male's assumption would have been mildly accurate—Ichigo is always prone to trouble, most likely from his easy-to-grasp-attention hair.

Ichigo let a quiet laugh escape his lips. "Sorry, Keigo," he says, leaping off his (rather comfortable) seat on the large boulder that lies next to the small cliff. "It's nothing, really. I guess I'm just excited about the upcoming surfing competition on Saturday."

"Well, get your head outta your ass! We need you for the volleyball game. I want to crush Chizuru into the ground!" Asano Keigo goofs with a large grin on face as he punches his fist into his hand. The other male, Kojima Mizuiro, rolls his eyes and casually resumes to his phone.

"Whatever, Asano-san," he speaks in a teasing manner, his fingers rigorously tapping on the screen of the said mobile device. "Well, we should get going." Mizuiro then suggests, leading the trio to the party.

"So, Ichigo, did you see that hot babe wearing a red bikini?" Keigo slyly asks, lounging his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Un, but I'm pretty sure her brain capacity is minuscule," the redhead comments in a haze, as if he isn't a bit interested.

"Man, what is with you? Every time we try and help you find a girl, you always shoot her down!" Keigo whines, stomping his foot into the white sand.

Ichigo quickly raises his hand in defense. "Oi, it beats flirting with every girl I see."

Mizuiro chuckles in agreement, yet his attention returns to his phone.

"I do not flirt with _every_ girl! Just the ones with a nice rack," Keigo slyly says with a slight glint.

"Why is it when I see you guys, Keigo always have his mind in the gutter?" A mysterious female voice asks.

The trio quickly, yet cautiously, crane their necks towards the owner of the voice. Sitting on a towel, far away from the party, lies Kuchiki Rukia with a large, black marker in one hand and a sketchbook in the other.

"Kuchiki-san~! Come back to the party with us!" Keigo offers in glee, waving his hand in the humid air.

"No, thank you!" Rukia returns with a more enthusiastic tone. "I appreciate you inviting me to this gathering, but I think I rather stay here."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun~!"

Before Rukia has the chance to reply, she is interrupted by the sound of high-pitched chirping coming from the ocean. The four shift their attentions towards the vast waters and catch a glimpse of three dolphins, frolicking about.

"Who invited Flipper-san and friends?" Ichigo jokes, folding his arms in front of his bare chest.

The quad watch the dolphins swim and play in amusement, taking in the beautiful, yet rare, scene. Rukia glances at the three boys, who are still fixated on the sea creatures, before huffing loudly.

"Alright," she says, grabbing their attention, as she stands from her seat on the towel. She gradually picks up her belongings and flashes them a slight variation of a smile. "I guess I could come to the party for a little bit."

The guys smile with excitement written on their faces.

Keigo throws his fist into the air. "Let's get partying!"

Hoots and shouts and hollers are made as they gradually make their way towards the large mass of people. Everyone, except Ichigo, who stands in his tracks, his gaze towards the ocean.

"Yo, Ichigo! Aren't you coming?" Rukia asks with concern in her soft, violet eyes. Ichigo continues to stare at the vast waters, and it's like he is too focused on the sea to answer her question.

"Oi, do you guys hear that?" He asks, turning his stance towards his friends. "It sounds like... _singing_."

"Eh?" The group questions loudly in unison.

"Are you crazy?!" Keigo asks, slightly in a joking manner, while he raises a brow at his friend of three years.

"Ichigo, there's no one singing," Mizuiro states casually, calmly.

"It could be one of the girls at the party," Rukia states, shrugging her shoulders. "They've been playing karaoke all night."

Ichigo vigorously shakes his head, as if to get the faint sound out of his head. "Yeah, you're probably right," he finally mutters under in his breath, running a hand through his fiery tresses. With that, Ichigo joins the others and finally return to the party.

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(Ichigo's assumption is, in fact, correct. Someone was singing, but it wasn't emanating from the party. It was coming from the dark, mysterious cove on the opposite side of the cliff...

Oh, and the dolphin's name is actually Flipper.)

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**ii.**

The moon shines brightly down on the ocean, creating a sapphire-like glow against the slowly rocking waves. Far away from the party dwells a small, unknown cove, where dolphins play and the merfolk (the thought-to-be fantasy creatures that are half-human and half-fish) gathered.

In this cove, a soft, melodic harmony echoes off the cove walls and out into the open sea. The owner of the voice is perched against a rock, engulfed by the ocean. Her scaly, emerald tail casually sways; her head, full of bright, wavy, auburn hair that reaches her bottom and covers her bare chest, bobs to the tune of the song. Yet, her tranquility is cut short when someone calls her by her formal name. She huffs in disappointment and shifts her golden eyes to the source of the commotion.

"There you are, Princess Inoue-san~!"

On a rock adjacent to Orihime lies a fellow mermaid, waving her tail in the air. It is a faint shade of pink, and the scales are larger than Orihime's. Her skin is pale, making her bright, strawberry-blond hair and sky, blue eyes stand out with ease. Her hair is long as well, yet barely covers her full, ample chest.

Orihime smiles at her friend. "Rangiku-chan, you do not have to be so formal to me now. We're not in the castle," she says.

Rangiku playfully huffs and rolls her eyes as she jumps off the rock and into the water. She swims over to Orihime before pulling herself on top of Orihime's rock.

"I know, but you have to stop disappearing like that~! Do you know how _worried_ I was?" Rangiku asks in a whining tone, wringing excess salt water from her hair.

"Gomen ne, but I couldn't ignore a night like _this_," Orihime returns in a haze, looking up at the bright full moon. Rangiku raises a brow before mimicking her friend as she looks up at the night sky as well. "Besides, it's so _boring_ in the castle! I think it's good to get some fresh air once a while."

"Well, we should get going now," Rangiku murmurs in a sleepy tone, about to dive back into the water. Yet, she is interrupted by the chirping sound of dolphins, or to be accurate, Orihime's pets.

"Flipper-kun, Lorelei-chan! I've been wondering where you guys swam off to!" Orihime says, softly petting one of them on the head. The dolphin leans into her hand, clicking happily.

"Orihime-san, we need to go!" Rangiku whines, waving her tail in frustration Orihime ignores her friend when the other dolphin clicks and chirps something to the redhead mermaid.

"Here? Right now!?" She asks, her voice filled with excitement.

"What is it?" Rangiku inquires, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Flipper-kun says there's a bunch of humans having a party on the other side of the beach! Let's go check it out!" Orihime exclaims, carelessly throwing her hands in the air. Rangiku's eyes widen with fear.

"No! You know how dangerous the humans can be!" She cries.

"C'mon, let's just watch them, then we can go," Orihime offers. Rangiku hesitates at first, then releases a sigh.

"Fine, but only for a little while," she confirms. Orihime's eyes twinkle, tail happily sways, and mouth tug into a smile.

"Banzai!" She shouts before diving deep into the water in glee. Rangiku sighs and jumps into the water as well. Both mermaids follow the dolphins, leading the two to where they spotted the humans. The quad swim until they reach a large rock, resting nearby the beach. It is far enough for the humans not to see them, yet still close enough for them to watch with ease.

"Ne, it looks like they are having a great time," Orihime whispers.

"Okay, we saw them. Let's go!" Rangiku returns.

"But, I want to see more!"

"We are going to get into trouble!"

"There is no rule against observing the humans," Orihime huffs in defiance, her nose confidently towards the air and her hazel eyes shielded by her eyelids. Rangiku groans, knowing there is no use but to give into Orihime.

Rangiku continues to watch the humans, yet her eyes kept glancing towards Orihime. Since the two were a young age, the blond would recall Orihime having a fascination for humans. Whenever she would see one, she would always drag Rangiku along.

Orihime sighs in content, grabbing Rangiku from her train of thought. "See, Rangiku-chan? I told you this wouldn't be a bad idea!"

"Un, I guess you were right," Rangiku replies, resting her head on her arms. Orihime smiles, her glance reverts to the party. She finds it interesting, entertaining how humans are so relaxed and carefree. She watches them talk and laugh and drink and swim and dance. She feels as if nothing could spoil this moment.

"I thought I would find you two here," a relaxed voice came from behind the two. Both mermaids turn around to see a familiar face. A young merman smirks at the two. His hair, long and fiery-red, clings onto his body that is covered with black markings. Although unseen, his black tail keeps him afloat in place.

"Renji-kun! How did you find us?" Orihime asks, still recovering from the shock.

"Whenever there are humans around, you are always there," Renji states as he swims next to her. "I also assumed Matsumoto would be with you."

"_You_ assumed? I believe that it was _my_ assumption," a stern voice interjects. Orihime and Rangiku quickly turn their heads to see a younger merman swimming towards the three, his bright blue tail splashing against the waves. Orihime let out a nervous laugh as Rangiku's eyes widen.

"H-Hitsugaya!"

"Toushirou-kun!"

"That is Hitsugaya to you!"

"Oi, don't talk to Princess Inoue-san like that!"

"I am her adviser, therefore I have control over her! I can talk to her however I please."

"Well, let's see how King Inoue-san will think of that!"

"Y-You're not going to tell this to Onii-chan, are you?" Orihime chirps. The bickering trio turn their heads to face Orihime in shock, as if they have forgotten about her presence. Renji smirks at her.

"Ara, don't worry. Besides, I think Hitsugaya and myself will join you two on your human observation," he says, laughing lightly.

"I'll pass," Hitsugaya dryly murmurs.

"Hitsugaya, don't be such a spoil sport~! It's been months since you've left the castle," Rangiku complains.

"Only because Abarai dragged me along," he mutters. Renji was about to protest, but a loud cry suddenly pierce through the sky from the shore. They turn their heads to the source of the noise, finding a girl fuming red, protectively wrapping her arms around her bare chest as a guy playfully runs off with a bikini top in his hands.

Rangiku crinkles her nose in disgust. "Humans always have to make such a fit over every thing." The group bob their heads in agreement.

"We should head out soon. I sense a current coming," Renji says.

Orihime ignores Renji; her eyes are fixated on a certain redheaded human who is surfing with two others. Suddenly, she feels her heart beats faster, her insides twist. Even from a distance, she could see his eyes; they are the same color as hers.

"Orihime, we're going soon," Rangiku says, tugging at the end of her tail. Orihime vigorously shakes her head, snapping herself out of her daydream.

"Oh, what? Alright then," she murmurs, sounding a little disappointed. As the group departs into the water, Toushirou glances back at the shore.

"Looks like the human lost his surfing board," he says, dryly. The others look and saw the male human swimming deep into the ocean, where his surfboard has somehow ended up. Renji tries to stifle a laugh while Orihime giggles. She smiles once more, observing the human from head to toe.

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**iii.**

After a round of surfing with Keigo and Mizuiro, Ichigo decides to take a break on the coast and doesn't bother to grab his surfboard on his way out of the water. Suddenly, a strong wind begins to pick up, resulting for Ichigo's abandoned surfboard to drift into the ocean.

"Shit!" Ichigo shouts, quickly returning to the sea. The surfboard floats further and further into the water as he swims towards it. He finally catches up with the board and tightly grabs onto it with both arms. He turns to swim back to the shore, yet his foot gets caught onto a mysterious object underwater. The more he struggles to break loose, the more he feels himself sink deeper and deeper into the ocean.

The others begin to notice his actions.

"Ichigo! What's wrong?!" Rukia shouts.

"I-I don't know! Something caught my leg and I can't—" Before he can finish, a powerful wave suddenly crashes over and around him, engulfing him into the ocean. This time, he doesn't float back up, only his surfboard.

"Shit! Ichigo!" Keigo yells, running towards the coast. "We have to go in and save him!"

"What if we get sucked in too?!" Mizuiro frantically asks, beginning to panic.

The three glance at one another, and their minds went blank for any ideas to save their drowning friend.

.

.

"Why won't he come back up!? It's just a current!" Orihime cries.

"Humans aren't as strong swimmers as we are," Renji answers.

"Someone has to go save him!" She returns in a panicked tone. When no one seem to be willing to help, she volunteers herself. "I'll go!"

"But we can't interact—"

"I know we can't interact with humans, but there's no way I'm going to sit here and let him die!" She returns boldly before diving into the water, leaving the others behind. She swims as fast as she could, fighting the current and the waves.

Soon, she spots the human, unconscious, sinking to the bottom. If she doesn't act quick, she is certain he is going to die. Swimming behind him, she quickly grabs his arms and pulls him out of the large wave. Orihime knew she couldn't bring him up to the shore line, for it would risk the exposure of the merfolk to the humans. She thinks quick, and the cove comes to her mind. Orihime holds the human tightly as she swims towards of the cove.

Once Orihime is close enough to the shore, she manages to drag the human onto the sand. She lays her head on his chest to check if he is still breathing. She hears the sound of thumping; she feels his chest slowly rise and fall. He is still out cold, but alive.

The others follow her and watch from afar.

"Let's go, Orihime-san! Before the humans come!" Rangiku shouts.

"I'll catch up with you guys. Go on without me," she says quietly. Rangiku furrow her brows and begins to swim towards the mermaid, but Renji places his hand on her shoulder, stopping her movements.

"She'll be fine," he mutters; Toushirou nods in agreement. Rangiku emits a long breath before diving into the ocean, Renji and Toushirou following behind.

Orihime slowly looks down at the human. His bright, orange hair, still damp from the ocean waves, is sprawled out. The mermaid blushes as she runs a hand down his face, and decides to sing to him. To a human's ear, the tune sounds unrecognizable, for it is sung by Orihime's native tongue. Her voice is soft, light, when the words flow out of her mouth. As she recalls, it is a song that her deceased mother use to sing to her as a child.

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**iv. **

Ichigo slowly opens his eyes to the familiar sound of singing. It is peaceful, beautiful to his hears, fully waking the male up. His vision is still blurry, but he manages to see a pair of stunning gold eyes.

"W-Who are you?" He weakly asks. The blurred figure doesn't answer, just smiles. Before he asks again, he hears his name from a distance.

"Ichigo! We found you!"

He vividly blinks his eyes, and the mysterious figure is gone. Instead, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Rukia enters his vision as they run towards the cove, rushing to their friend's side.

"We thought you were dead!" Keigo cries, pulling his friend into a tight hug.

"Oi... Not so tight," Ichigo manages to say, his voice still weak from the lack of oxygen.

"How did you manage to swim out of that strong current anyways?" Mizuiro asks, maintaining a stoic look on his face. Yet, deep down, he is ecstatic, relieved to see his friend alive and well.

"I think... someone saved me," he mutters as he stands up before staring out into the ocean. The three exchange confused glances.

"There isn't anyone here except us," Mizuiro returns, raising his eyebrow. In response, Ichigo quickly looks around, searching for his mysterious savior. When he see no one else, he harshly clench his teeth and curse under his breath.

"Dammit, I know I saw her! She had these beautiful, golden eyes! A-And her voice—"**  
**

"You must have drunk some sea water... Come on, I'll take you back to the clinic," Rukia offers, placing the straps of her bag onto her shoulders. Ichigo sighs, giving into her offering, and nods. Keigo, Mizuiro, and Rukia begin to head back, yet Ichigo continues to stand in place.

"I didn't even get to thank her," he groans under his breath, carefully rubbing the salt water out of his eyes. He looks back at the cove, then towards his friends. Hesitantly, he jogs towards the coast, where the waves met the sand, cups his hands near his mouth, and shouts—

"Yo! If you're out there... thanks for saving me!"

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.

Unknown to him, his savior cautiously hides behind a rock, still observing the male.

"You're welcome... _Ichigo_," she whispers, recently learning the human's name. Flipper suddenly appears next to her, clicking and chirping into her ear.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern," she returns to her pet dolphin. Her hand softly rubs the top of his head before reverting her eyes towards the shore. "But, I think I have found the one... I can't believe I'm saying this, but—

I'm in love."

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**end.**

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**—e/n:** finished! yep, i think this the quickest time i have written a chapter; it only took me a couple of days. anyone out for summer yet? this girl is~ so, that means i'll be updating stories _much_ more frequently. whoop~

-audrey


	2. act two

—**a/n: **ah! thanks so much for the feedback. i'm glad to know you guys are enjoying the story.（＾ω＾）and no worries, the ending will not be like the little mermaid. i'm not that cruel, haha.

* * *

**like salt water and golden eyes  
**act two

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**i.**

Deep underneath the ocean surface, untouched and unseen by humans, lies an utopian-like place, populated by merpeople and other aquatic creatures. In the middle of this underwater community lies a castle. This is where the royal family resides, as well as their loyal subjects and servants.

It is early in the morning, and only a few servants in the castle are up, as well as Princess Orihime's advisor, Hitsugaya Toushirou. He is residing in the castle's library, finishing the immense stack of paper work that is due. He prefers to wake up early when there is peace in the castle so he can complete his work quickly. However, the silence doesn't last long when someone opens the door.

"Ohayo, Toushirou-kun~!"

Cursing softly in his native tongue, Toushirou's eyes shift upwards to find Orihime beaming in happiness. He then mutters some sort of greeting before quickly returning back to his work. After a moment, he reverts his eyes back at her, only to find the princess humming happily as she pulls petals off a sea flower.

"Eto, are you feeling alright?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh? Oh! U-Un, everything is perfectly fine!" Orihime stutters nervously. Toushirou sighs at her response.

"You've been out of it for the past three days. You barely pay attention during your lessons, and you keep swimming into walls," he dryly states, crossing his arms. Pulling off the last petal, Orihime sighs.

"Toushirou-kun, have you ever met someone that made you feel all fuzzy inside?"

"Never had, never will."

"But you've said it yourself: everybody falls in love! And when someone falls in love, it's one of the most magical moments of their lives!"

"_I_ didn't say that. The book did. Why are you so bothered by the subject anyways?"

The redheaded beauty faces the merman with a bright smile. "Toushirou-kun, I think I've fallen in love!"

"Congratulations, Inoue-san. Now, it's only a matter of time for you to get married," Toushirou returns sarcastically, his eyes doesn't leave his work.

Orihime huffs in frustration by his response. "I'm being serious!"

"Give it time. Your silly crush on Abarai will soon fly by."

"E-Eh?! You think I have a crush on Renji-kun?! He is just my nakama and bodyguard," she returns, stifling a giggle. Toushirou looks at her before furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's not me, is it?" He asks. Orihime could no longer contain her laughter and erupts with an infinite amount of giggles.

"Of course, not! Besides, everyone in the castle knows you're too fixated on Momo-chan," she teases. Toushirou groans before looking away to hide his blush.

"So, who is the lucky guy that has 'stolen' your heart?" He asks, quick to change the subject. Orihime was just about to answer when Rangiku and Renji suddenly swims into the room.

"There you are, Inoue-san! You weren't in your room, so I got worried," Rangiku says in a relieved manner.

"Is there ever a time where you don't worry?" Toushirou asks, narrowing his eyes. Rangiku shoots a playful glare at him.

"Is everything alright?" Orihime nervously asks, biting her lip.

"It's your brother," Renji interjects. "He wishes to have a word with us."

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**ii.**

Orihime swims through the castle in a hurry until she arrives to the throne room where her brother is waiting for her. Orihime politely knocks on the door and waits for approval. When she hears her brother allowing entrance, she opens the door and enters the large room without hesitation. Rangiku, Renji, and Toushirou follow her inside and bow before Orihime's brother, Inoue Sora, King of all the merfolk.

"Ohayo, Onii-chan!" Orihime greets before giving her brother a hug. "Did you sleep well?"

"Un, I did," Sora returns with a smile. "I heard about your adventure a couple of nights ago." Orihime winces immediately, hoping for no punishment.

"G-Gomen! I know we aren't allow to interact with humans, but I couldn't let him drown! The little blue men wouldn't let me!" She shouts in an apologetic manner.

"Hime, you're not in trouble," her brother says with a chuckle.

"I'm not?" Orihime asks in disbelief.

"She's not?" The trio behind Orihime ask in unison.

"Of course, not! In fact, if I was in your situation, I would have done the same thing. That was a very brave thing to do, Hime. I couldn't be more prouder to call you my sister."

Orihime blushes from her brother's comment. "Ano, if I'm not in trouble... why do you wish to speak with me?"

"As you know, in a couple of months, you will be considered an adult mermaid. You have been training and learning about the underwater world. Before our parents passed, they wished for you to accomplish one more thing."

Orihime slowly leans closer, eyes widening.

"Hime, it's time for you to explore the human world to see what it truly is," he announces. Orihime lets out an excited squeal before swimming into her brother's arms.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Onii-chan!" She cries, releasing their embrace and bowing.

"Your Highness! You can't let Inoue-sama go off on her own!" Rangiku shouts.

"I'm well aware of that," Sora states, furrowing his eyebrows. "That is why I decided to let you three join her."

"Us?" The three of them ask. Sora nods in response.

"You three have already been up on land in this area, so you know about the town the humans reside in," Sora explains. "The four of you will leave tonight."

.

.

"I can't believe this! I'm finally going up on land!" Orihime exclaims, twirling and swimming around in excitement. She looks at her friends, who aren't sharing her enthusiasm. "Oi, what's the matter?"

"You do realize that you are only going to be on land for a week," Toushirou states.

"It doesn't matter how long I'm going to be there, Toushirou-kun. Just the fact of meeting and interacting with humans makes me happy!"

"Well, since this is your first time, we should give you some main rules," Renji interjects. Orihime nods and listens carefully.

"Rule One: No humans are to know about your identity as a mermaid. Rule Two: When on land, you can remain a human until you are in contact with water. You'll revert back to your original form—"

"—Unless you wear this," Rangiku interrupts before handing Orihime a necklace. "This necklace has the power to negate the effect."

"Alright, I got it," Orihime says.

Before she has the chance to swim off, Rangiku grabs her wrist. "We're not done, Inoue-san. The most important rule of all is to never, under any circumstances, fall in love with a human!"

Orihime's eyes widen. "E-Eh?"

"Inoue-san, it's forbidden for a merperson to fall in love with a human," Renji repeats.

"Even if the human falls for the merperson, too?" She asks, her voice is shaky. The three shake their heads.

"Humans do not understand our existance, so the chance of that happening is very slim... almost none," Toushirou says. Orihime falls silent.

"Is everything okay, Inoue-san?" Rangiku asks, worry in her voice.

"Un, I'll be fine..." She replies. But, in reality, she is hurting on the inside. She has found someone she really likes; to learn that it's against the law, it makes her heartbroken. "I'll see you guys tonight. Ja!"

She waves before she swims back to her room. When she arrives, she sits on her bed and lets out a sigh. Her head is rushing with emotions, all hitting her at the same time. She is ecstatic to go onto land, but she is unhappy about the law.

She wants to see that human... Ichigo, was it? He was all she could think about, all she could dream about. And, she is determined to see him again—whether it is against the law or not.

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**iii.**

"So, where are we going to stay?" Orihime asks her eleventh question that night.

Rangiku sighs at the redhead's enthusiasm before replying, "There's an abandoned beach house not so far away from the cove. The humans are unaware of the edifice, so it's mainly a second home for merfolk who are on land."

"Oi, we're ready to go," Renji announces to the duo.

"About time," Toushirou mutters under his breath, folding his arms.

Taking small knapsack-like bags on their backs, the quad begins to head out for their destination. It is a long swim, maybe an hour or so. During their journey, they pass by many familiar locations. A sunken ship that hasn't been discovered for centuries, reefs that is home to different species of fish, and even an underwater cave that they played in as children.

The group sees the surface of the ocean, indicating that they are almost there. They swim towards the surface before meeting the cold, humid air above. A couple of feet away from the cove, Orihime spots a beach house that is now her home for the week. As soon as they arrive at the shore, the four rest on the coast of the beach.

"What now?" Orihime impatiently asks.

"Just wait for a bit," Renji replies.

A couple of minutes later, Orihime feels something strange, unfamiliar happening to her tail. It begins to glow in an instant, and it looks as if it is separating into two. Then, there is a sudden bright flash that almost blinds her. She instinctively shields her eyes until the brightness dies down. Hesitantly, she lowers her hands, and she gasps at what she sees. In place of her emerald tail are two human legs. She lifts one of them up and wiggles her... What did humans call them? Oh, right! Toes.

"Eh? I-Is this real?" She questions in disbelief.

"Oh, it's real," Rangiku says with a smile. Orihime looks up at her friends to see them with legs as well. Orihime beams as her eyes twinkle in delight.

"I'm a human! A real human!" Orihime cries, getting up and running around. She instantly trips onto her face. She realizes that she isn't used to walking, yet continues to run around in a clumsy-like fashion.

"Inoue-san!" Rangiku shouts before standing onto her feet. "You need to put some clothes on first!"

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**iv. **

The next morning, the mermaid princess—now transformed into a human—is on the beach, practicing what humans called a "cartwheel." Of course, not used to her new human legs, Orihime repetitively falls over every time. She is now dressed in human clothing that Rangiku has brought for her; she is wearing a traditional summer outfit: a sleeveless hoodie and shorts. The sandals she wears feel odd to her, like a shield for her feet. Around her neck is a necklace with a gemstone pendant; this what would negate the effects of her turning back into a mermaid when she gets wet.

Rangiku observes her friend from inside the beach house, fully dressed as well. Suddenly, she sees Orihime harshly fall onto her head. Worried, the blonde runs out the house and towards the fallen redhead.

"Inoue-san! Are you alright?" Rangiku asks, rushing to her friend's side.

Orihime stands up, wobbling a bit. "I'm fine, Rangiku-chan! I have a hard head, so that fall was nothing!" She bends down to brush the sand off of her before sighing. "Humans make it look so easy."

"That's because they have many years to practice. You, on the other hand, have barely been on land for one day," Rangiku states, giggling. Orihime lets out a small laugh as well.

"Well, hello ladies~!" A voice from behind them shouts. They both snap their heads around to find a human male. The two recognize him as one of the students they saw at the beach party, the one that snatched the top off of one of the females.

"I couldn't help but notice you two," he says, glancing at the two. "I must say, you are cuter than I expected." Orihime tilts her head to the side in confusion while Rangiku roll her eyes. As she recalls, this is how humans "flirt."

"Maybe, if you want, one of you lucky ladies could go out on a date with me. How about it?" He asks slyly, raising a brow.

"A date?" Orihime asks, completely bewildered by the said term.

"Asano, would you please stop harassing the female population? You look like an idiot," a female voice scolds. The three glance to a distance and sees a girl walking to where they are.

"Excuse me, but does he belong to you?" Rangiku asks as she points at the male.

"Gomen, he's just a hopeless romantic," the girl apologizes before bowing respectfully. She sits up, giving the male a glare. Orihime walks up to the girl and holds out her hand.

"Ohayo~! My name is Inoue Orihime," she says, trying to contain her excitement of meeting a human for the first time. The girl looks at her hand, then slowly brings it up next to before shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, Inoue. I'm Kuchiki Rukia, and this is Asano Keigo," she greets politely. Keigo waves, giving them a goofy-like grin. After they greet, Rukia's eyes shift towards the beach house.

"Do you live here? I thought this house was abandoned," Rukia asks with furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh, it's just our temporary beach home. We come here in the summer for about a week," Rangiku explains. "In fact, this is In—er—_Orihime's_ first time here."

Rukia raises an eyebrow before reverting her gaze at Orihime. "It is?"

"U-Un, I've never been in this town before. I try to join my friends each year, but I'm always busy with something else," Orihime lies.

"We are going to show her around the town today," Rangiku adds with a smile.

"We? There's more in your group?" Rukia asks.

"And if they are girls, are they single?" Keigo interjects with a large grin on his face. Rukia hits him harshly on the head. Keigo winces from the impact, rubbing the bump where she had hit him. "Itai! That hurt, Kuchiki-san!"

Orihime lets out a small laugh. "Our other friends are males."

"Oi, I have an idea! We're going to meet up with our friends later. You and your friends can come and join us!" Keigo suggests boldly.

"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose," Rangiku says nervously. Orihime, on the other hand, thought differently.

"We would love to join you guys!" She says, grinning. Rukia half-smiles.

"We'll come meet you guys here in an hour from now," Rukia proposes. Orihime smiles and nods. "Well, I guess we'll see you guys later." She waves goodbye before the two turn and head towards the tiki bar.

Rangiku waits to speak until the two are out of sight. "Inoue-san! What were you thinking?!"

Instinctively, Orhime tilts her head and gives her warm smile. "They seem nice! I didn't want to be mean and turn down their offering. Besides, I hardly think they could be dangerous."

"But, what would Abarai and Hitsugaya think of this?"

"I'm sure Renji-kun will be up for it, and Toushirou-kun can't stay in the house all day, ne?"

Rangiku sighs in defeat. "Hai. Just be careful, Inoue-san," she warns. Orihime nods before grabbing Rangiku's arm.

"C'mon! Let's go tell the guys the news!" Orihime beams as she drags Rangiku towards the beach house, nearly tripping during the process. Rangiku stifles a giggle as she follows close behind.

.

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**to be continued.**


End file.
